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How media literacy helps students talk about fake news, bias and unreliable sources

Take a look at one or more of these short videos on media literacy. The full NewsHour piece is here.

Media literacy can help make students and adults smarter media consumers, according to Michelle Ciulla Lipkin, executive director at the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE).

The United States is in need of widespread media literacy education, given the vast amount of information individuals confront each day. Currently, we do not have nearly enough, stated Ciulla Lipkin.

Teachers and librarians can help young people figure out which news sources are reliable, how to understand the role of bias in the media as well as our own personal biases through media literacy.

The term “fake news” has brought attention to the need for media literacy, however, the term is “incredibly limiting” said Ciulla Lipkin, because it simplifies a complex information ecosystem in often confusing ways.

Students are ‘hypocrisy radars’ when it comes to adults use of mobile devices, often telling kids to put down their phones when they themselves are on them, Ciulla Lipkin said. Both adults and young people need to talk to each other about the their joys and concerns related to media and technology, she said.

Key Terms

media: the means of communication, including the internet, broadcast, and publishing which are spread to a large group of people

media literacy: the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create and act using all forms of communication (NAMLE’s definition)

Essential question: What are ways media literacy can help combat fake news?

How do you define the term ‘fake news?’

What are some tips you find helpful when it comes to evaluating a news source?

Do you feel students receive mixed messages from adults when it comes to technology? Explain your answer.

The charge: Use these questions to analyze today’s Daily News Story–yes, that’s right, the one you just read/watched. Share feedback with Extra at newshourextra@gmail.com and we will be sure to write back to you.

What is missing from this message?

How might different people interpret this message differently?

Is this fact, opinion, or something else?

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